Andreas Ornitoparchus

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Andreas Ornitoparchus (* around 1490 in Meiningen ; † after 1520) was a German music theorist of the Renaissance .

Live and act

No information has survived about the origin and early time of Andreas Ornitoparchus. Music historical research was able to determine that he received his first musical training in Saxony. He was then enrolled to study at the University of Rostock in 1512 , in Tübingen in 1515 , in Wittenberg and Leipzig in 1516 , and finally in Greifswald in 1518 . In between, he traveled extensively through Germany, Austria, Bohemia and Hungary. During his time as rector of a parish school at St. Ludgeri in Münster , he wrote a Latin grammar in 1514. He began writing his well-known four-volume music theory treatise Micrologus as early as 1512 in Rostock; this extended over about five years. He then read it publicly at the Universities of Tübingen, Heidelberg and Mainz . Nothing is known about his further life, including the place and date of his death.

meaning

The main work of Ornitoparchus is his music-theoretical treatise Musice active micrologus , published in Leipzig in January 1517. This work surpasses all other music-theoretical treatises of its time with its material breadth. The first book deals with the cantus planus , unison music with note values ​​of equal length; This part also contains longer sections on the harmony of the spheres and the monochord . The second and third books deal with musica mensuralis , i.e. polyphonic music, with numerous musical examples, and with the so-called accentus ecclesiasticus (church accent), whereby its systematic treatment of the church accent represents an absolute innovation in music theory. He also differentiates between the two styles Accentus and Concentus in Gregorian chant , which is still valid today. Just as new is his definition of a musical clause , which he describes primarily as a polyphonic process. Finally, the fourth book deals with counterpoint . Another novelty in the book with the musica mensuralis is the naming of 16 names of people who in his eyes are considered exemplary composers: Alexander Agricola , Georg Brack , Antoine Brumel , Loyset Compère , Caspar Czeys , Josquin Desprez , Heinrich Finck , Johannes Ghiselin , Heinrich Isaac , Erasmus Lapicida , Pierre de La Rue , Jacob Obrecht , Johannes Ockeghem , Matthaeus Pipelare , Conrad Rein and Johannes Tinctoris .

Although Ornitoparchus' treatise aims at musical practice, it sticks to the relatively broad musical concept of the Middle Ages, which also includes poetry, the “genus poetarum” according to Boethius . The author also advocates the doctrine of spherical harmony, because in his opinion movement is not possible without sound. In his detailed derivation of the concept of proportion and in the representation of the dependence of the intervallic on the mensural proportions, the music is based on numerical law. Despite some shortcomings, especially in the theory of dissonance and in his singing rules , Micrologus' music theory found steady acceptance, was quoted by subsequent music theorists and partially adopted. In 1609 the entire Micrologus was translated into English by the English composer John Dowland .

Works (writings)

  • Enchiridion latinae constructionis , Deventer 1515
  • Musice active micrologus , Leipzig January 1517; further editions: November 1517, 1519, 1521, 1555 (as part of the Libelli titulum inscriptionemque iocus collection ); as De arte cantandi micrologus , Cologne 1524, 2nd edition by Hero Alopecius 1533, third edition by Johann Gymnich 1535; English translation by John Dowland as Andreas Ornitoparcus His Micrologus or Introduction: Containing the Art of Singing , by Thomas Adams London 1609

Literature (selection)

  • JW Lyra: Andreas Ornithoparchus from Meiningen and his teaching about the church accents , Gütersloh 1877
  • Wilhelm Bäumker:  Ornitoparchus, Andreas . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 24, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1887, p. 426 f.
  • Gustav Reese / S. Ledbetter (editor): A Compendium of Musical Practice. Ornitoparchus & Dowland , New York 1973
  • W. Werbeck: Studies on the German key theory in the first half of the 16th century , Kassel 1989
  • E. Schwind: Cadence and counterpoint: on the theory of composition approx. 1470 to approx. 1570 , dissertation at the University of Freiburg 1995
  • Klaus-Jürgen Sachs: De modo componendi. Studies on musical teaching texts of the late 15th century , Hildesheim and others 2001 (= studies on the history of music theory No. 2)
  • Heinz von Loesch: Musica - Musica practica - Musica poetica. In: German Music Theory of the 15th - 17th Century, Part 1, edited by T. Ertelt / Fr. Zaminer, Darmstadt 2003, pages 99–264

Web links

swell

  1. ↑ The Music in Past and Present (MGG), Person Part Volume 12, Bärenreiter and Metzler, Kassel and Basel 2004, ISBN 3-7618-1122-5
  2. ↑ Marc Honegger, Günther Massenkeil (ed.): The great lexicon of music. Volume 6: Nabakov - Rampal. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau a. a. 1981, ISBN 3-451-18056-1 .
  3. ^ The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , edited by Stanley Sadie, 2nd Edition, Volume 18, McMillan, London 2001, ISBN 0-333-60800-3
personal data
SURNAME Ornitoparchus, Andreas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ornithoparchus, Andreas; Vogelsang, Andreas; Vogelhofer, Andreas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German music theorist of the Renaissance
DATE OF BIRTH around 1490
PLACE OF BIRTH Meiningen
DATE OF DEATH after 1520